41 Learning Methods That Benefit a Lifetime

Chapter 40 Asking questions also requires methods

We have to pay attention to methods in everything we do.If the method is appropriate, it will get twice the result with half the effort; if the method is not proper, the opposite will happen, and it will get twice the result with half the effort.The same goes for asking questions.The question mentioned here is by no means a simple question like "one plus one equals how much".It has a question of whether it is good or bad to ask. It is well said in "Xue Ji": "A good questioner is like ringing a bell. If you knock it small, it will ring small, and if you knock it big, it will ring loudly; wait for it to be tolerated, and then make its best sound." This classical Chinese translation Come on, it means that asking questions is fine: for those who are good at finding and asking questions, asking questions is like ringing a big bell.If the question is small (or called simple), the bell will ring softly; if the question asked is big (or called profound), the bell will ring loudly.Also, the bell will not stop until all the issues raised have been resolved.In addition, this ancient passage also tells us that one must ring the bell calmly, so that its sound can be melodious and pleasant; naturally, one must ask questions step by step, and ask questions on the basis of active thinking, so as to have a level and depth.

Another requirement for being good at asking questions is that questions should start from the whole, systematically design, focus on key points, and ask questions in a non-trivial manner.In other words, don't dwell too much on trivial, irrelevant things, and be concise and clear at the same time.

Finally, and the most critical question: When asking questions, you must find out where your doubts and difficulties are, and ask the key points, that is, really ask what you don't understand.Another little experience is that when asking questions, you should introduce new ones without falling out of clichés.

(End of this chapter)